Scabbard



H. MORSETH Aug. 25, 1953 SCABBARD 'Filed June 18, 1951 Patented Aug. 25, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SCABBARD Harry Morseth, Everett, Wash.

Application June 18, 1951, Serial No. 232,177

1 Claim.

This invention relates to scabbards and sheaths, and it has reference more particularly to improvements in devices of that character designed for the accommodation of hunting knives, and the like, and equipped with means for supporting attachment with the wearers belt.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide Aa scabbard comprising an outer sheath, or case, which may be of a decorative character, and an inner liner for the case made of a hard fibrous material, to protectively contain the knife blade therein and tofrictionally and yieldingly grip it without detriment to its sharpened edge. Furthermore, a strong and rigid liner that will protect the wearer of the scabbard from accidental damage by the sheathed knife.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a tubular liner that is formed at its mouth, or receiving end, with recesses designed to receive the opposite end portions of the knife hilt therein in a manner to retain the knife against accidental displacement from the scabbard.

Another object of the invention is to provide the sheath and its liner with openings through which they may be drained of moisture or foreign material.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the details of construction and combination of parts and in their assembled relationship and mode of use as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a knife scabbard embodying the improvements of the present invention therein.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the sheath liner removed from the sheath.

Fig. 3 is a side edge view of the liner, showing the recessed mouth portion for reception of the hilt of the handle of the knife.

Fig. 4 is a central, longitudinal section of the scabbard showing the relationship of the sheath and liner, and the registered drainage openings.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on line 5--5 in Fig. 4.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- The present scabbard, as provided for housing one of the ordinary types of hunting knives, comprises an outer case or sheath I0, forming an elongated pocket II in which a sheath liner I2 is contained, and which liner extends the full length of the pocket. The outer case, or sheath I0 preferably is made of leather, or other similar material of a exible, long wearing character.

VAs seen in the present instance, the sheath comprises a front Wall portion 10a and a back wall portion Ib. These two portions are placed, one upon the other and are sewed together along their longitudinal edges by a leather` thong I5, as shown. Other methods of attachment can be used if desired. The back wall member I0b= extends, at its upper end, well beyond the front wall member I0a and is folded back upon itself and secured at its end to form a loop I5 through which the belt of the wearer can be extended as a means of support for the scabbard.

The sheath liner is made from a single length of hard fiber tubing, cut to proper length and then permanently flattened as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The lower end of the flattened tube is cut off in accordance with the shaping of the end of the blade that is to be housed therein. At its upper end, the tube is formed along its edges with rather deep cut recesses 20. The recesses which are similarly formed each have an enlarged lower part 2I and a restricted upper portion leading outwardly therefrom and having outwardly converging walls, the enlarged lower parts 2l of the recess being designed to receive the ends of the hilt 22 of the knife therein as has been illustrated in Fig. 3, the outwardly converging walls of the restricted upper portions of the recesses 20 acting to yieldingly embrace the hilt of a knife positioned in the liner tube and hold the knife from accidental displacement. The parts of the -tube between the recesses are outwardly formed to provide a relatively wide mouth for reception of the lower portion of the knife handle and permit the hilt to be easily received in the recesses. The yieldability of the front and rback wall portions of the tube, at this mouth permit the pressing of the hilt into the recesses. These front and back portions of the tube are preferably shaped to t about the enclosed portion of the knife handle 23 as indicated in Fig. 3.

To secure the liner against displacement from the sheath the upper end of the back Wall portion thereof is riveted or otherwise secured to the back wall member I0b of the case as shown at 25 in Fig. 1.

It is also desirable that a leather tab be fixed to lthe upper end portion of the loop I6 to receive the upper end of the blade handle therein as a further insurance against accidental loss of the knife from the scabbard.

With the parts of the scabbard so constructed and assembled, and assuming the device to be applied to the Wearers belt by extending the belt through the loop i6, it will be understood that the knife blade can be readily inserted in the sheath and liner and the handle readily grasped for removal of the knife.

As a feature of construction, the sheath and its liner are formed at their lower ends with registering openings 38 and 39 through which water, dirt or other foreign matter can be drained.

The particular advantage in the present construction resides in the fact that, by the use of leather or a similar material for the sheath, -or outer casing, the device can be made ornamental and attractive in appearance. By use of the fiber tube liner, the blade will be adequately protected and also the wearer will be protected against damage by the knife. The ber 'tube does not have the blade dulling action of metal liners and has proven to be more desirable for many reasons.

Liners of this kind may be made -for application to sheaths of variousdesign and forms of construction, and also may be made in various sizes Vto meet requirements of use.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A scabbard for a hunting knife or the like comprising a relatively flexible outer case providing an elongated pocket open at its upper end, a liner fo1` the pocket secured to the outer casing and comprising a flattened, relatively rigid, fiber tube that is substantially coextensive with said pocket and is closed at its lower end, the front and back walls of the liner tube at the upper end portion of the same being flared outwardly to receive therebetween the hilt end portion of a knife, and said liner tube being provided in the upper end pomion thereof with recesses extending longitudinally along the side edge portions thereof inwardly from the upper end of the same between said outwardly flared portions of the front and back Walls, said recesses being adapted to receive the ends of the hilt of a knife positioned in the liner tube, and said recesses being `Similarly formed and each having an enlarged lower part *and a restricted upper portion leading outwardly therefrom and having outwardly converging walls adapted to yieldingly embrace the hilt of a knife positioned in the liner tube and to retain the same therein against accidental displacement.

HARRY MORSETH.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 831,770 Bragg Sept. 25, 1906 1,108,864 Jennings Aug. 25, 1914 1,123,862 Ellery Jan. v5, 1915 1,320,751 Freyer Nov. 4, 1919 1,933,171 Hart Oct. 31, 1933 2,538,424 Moehle Jan. 1'6, 1951 

